Mar 12, 2013

A Fresh Look & Renewed Mojo

True story. When I started this little ol' blog of mine, I had no idea what I was doing. I knew I wanted to have a space where I could write about my life and the adventure we were about to embark on as we made the move to Germany, but I had no idea I'd care so much about how it looked. The first blog design I ever had was a complete mish-mosh of things I pieced together myself; no real direction or any design feature that was uniquely me. As my blog started to grow, I felt the need to make it look more "put together." More professional, so to speak. So, I hired a blog designer (without doing much research), gave her a brief synopsis of what I wanted my blog to look like, and then let her have quite of bit of creative license. That was my first mistake. A few too many months went by and I finally got my now former design back. I was only halfway pleased with it. Even though it was more put together than the mish-mosh I had before, it didn't wow me. It wasn't me.I settled for a design that was just ho-hum.Truth is, I should have done more research and conveyed what I wanted more clearly.

Hindsight is always 20/20.

This time, I knew better.This time, I did my research.

I talked with other bloggers. I bounced ideas off the creative people in my life. I pinned liked crazy.

I formed the perfect idea of what I wanted my blog...my personal creative space...to look like.

And then, well, then I found Maiedae and all my blog design dreams came to fruition.

I don't know really what else to say except that Jenny, the designer of the amazingly beautiful new design you're now seeing, is an angel. Sent from heaven to put my mind at ease and create a beautiful space for me to share my thoughts with the world. It's as if she reached into the innermost caverns of my mind and pulled out everything I'd be dreaming of over the past 6 months. Not only was Jenny and the entire Maiedae Team very professional and prompt in catering to my every whim, but they provided me with a complete reflection of my personality, all wrapped up in one stunning blog design. After having such a lack-luster experience with my previous deisgner, my expectations (and speculations) were high. Could anyone give me what my heart desired? Is it possible to get the perfect design without settling? All those worries were laid to rest the second I got my design "homework." It was so comprehensive, so detailed, that there was no doubt in my mind that I was going to be working with true professionals.Designers with their client's best interests at heart, instead of their own.

From start to finish, Jenny listened to every thought, ramble, insecurity, and wild idea that rolled out of my brain. She was wholly vested in designing exactly what I wanted and never made me feel like I was asking too much. As our back and forth emails started piling up in my inbox when the design process was in full swing, it wasn't like Iwas talking to a stranger I paid to make me look good. It was like talking to a friend I'd known for years, who I was trusting with a piece of my soul. This was the kind of design experience I longed for. Jenny and Maiedae were the answers to my prayers.

As I look at my beautiful new blog design, I finally see me. The flowers, the sweet feminine touches, the colors. I finally see all those jumbled up thoughts I had locked in my mind for months laid out before me in a perfect labor of love. To the average Joe, it might look like a typical blog design. But to me, it's my own unique work of art. A new cozy place that's restored my passion for writing again. I might not have painted those gorgeous flowers myself (Jenny did! Just for me!), but I trusted the best girl for the job, and she definitely delivered. A thousand times over.

To Jenny (and the lovely Maiedae Team), thank you so much for turning my silly dream into a reality, for renewing my fervor for writing, and for giving me a space to create that's uniquely me. I adore it...every single detail!Fellow bloggers, if you're looking to breathe new life into your blog, look no further than the design duo Maiedae. I will be singing their praises for years to come!

So, tell me, what do YOU think of my new look?!

*Oh, and I FINALLY bit the bullet and got my very own domain name! I feel like such a legit blogger now.*

the design is gorgeous! I love the color scheme and all of the floral touches - so perfectly girly and sweet, like you said. but just a little thing - the right-aligned text. it's a bit hard to read. not so bad with the chunkier paragraphs where the lines are more even in length, but it's a bit taxing on my brain with the shorter sentences.

Aww!! Thank you so much, Casey, for this sweet post. I thoroughly enjoyed working with you on every detail. You are an amazing customer who I feel is now a good friend :) I'm so happy that you are happy!

Looks fabulous and I'm thrilled it reflects you now! I'm still too scared to try a new designer, but I'll keep Maiedae in mind if and when I ever decide to lay out the dough and put my blog in someone's hands again.

I appreciate your feedback, friends! I read every comment and try my hardest to respond to each one, but if your email address isn't attached to your blogger profile, you might find my response in the comment thread instead. As always, thanks for reading!

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